Poplar River BOateral Monitoring Committee 



Department of State Department of Foreign Affairs 



Washington, D.C., United States and International Trade Canada 



Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 



Governor's Office Saskatchewan Environment and 



State of Montana Resource Management 



Helena, Montana, United States Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada 



Ladies and Gentlemen: 



Herein is the 20* Annual Report of the Poplar River Bilateral Monitoring Committee. This report discusses 

 the Committee activities of 2000 and presents the proposed schedule for the year 2001. 



During 2000, the Poplar River Bilateral Monitoring Committee continued to fulfil the responsibilities 

 assigned by the governments imder the Poplar River Cooperative Monitoring Agreement dated September 

 23, 1980. Through exchange of Diplomatic Notes in March 1987, July 1992, and July 1997, the 

 Arrangement was extended. Because of an imcertainty about the expiration date for the latest extension as 

 the Canadian and United States exchange of Notes for the extensions had different dates, it is unclear if the 

 Arrangement has already expired or will expire in March 2002. Consequently, the Monitoring Committee 

 has agreed to the request for another extension. That request will be made to the Department of State and 

 the Department of Foreign Affairs in the near future. 



The enclosed report summarizes current water-quality conditions and conq)ares them to guidelines for 

 specific parameter values that were developed by the International Joint Commission under the 1977 

 Reference fix)m Canada and the United States. After evaluation of the monitoring information for 2000, the 

 Committee finds that the measured conditions meet the recommended objectives. The Committee notes that 

 the flow-weighted concentration of total dissolved solids in streamflow in the East Poplar River at the 

 International Boimdary remains close to the long-term objective of 1,000 milligrams per litre, but did not 

 exceed the objective in 2000. 



Based on UC recommendations, the United States was entitled to an on-demand release of 1,230 dam' 

 (1,000 acre-feet) from Cookson Reservoir in 2000. A volume of 1,180 dam' (957 acre-feet) was delivered 

 to the United States during this period. In addition, except for April 28, daily flows in 2000 met or exceeded 

 the minimum flow recommended by the UC. 



During 2000, monitoring continued in accordance with Technical Monitoring Schedules outlined in the 

 1992 Annual Report of the Poplar River Bilateral Monitoring Committee. 



Yours sincerely, 



Robert Davis ., Richard Kellow 



Chairman, United States Sectio^ Chairman, Canadian Section 



-O^ 



Jack5tults Chuck Bosgoed 



Member, United States Section Member, Canadian Section 



